Following Tuareg rebel attacks.. Mali army: situation under control

4 July 2026 - 15:29 | Last updated 4 July 2026 - 15:29

Elements of the Malian army

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The Malian army announced that the situation is under complete control following attacks carried out by armed militants on 5 cities and towns.

A rebel group led by the Tuaregs launched an attack today (Saturday) on a town in northern Mali where government forces and Russian paramilitary forces are present. Residents of two other areas in northern and central Mali reported hearing gunfire and explosions.

The attack is the latest challenge facing the military government in the country located in the African Sahel region, after the rebels carried out prominent attacks in April that targeted the capital airport in Bamako, leading to the assassination of the defense minister and the seizure of several military bases in the north of the country.

Mohamed El-Mouloud Ramadan, a spokesman for the Azawad Liberation Front, told Reuters that fighters from the front attacked the town of Anifis in the Kidal region of northeastern Mali early Saturday morning.

The government and Russian forces had deployed in Anifis following the April attacks, during which the Azawad Liberation Front and a branch of Al-Qaeda in the region managed to take control of the city of Kidal.

In the city of Gao in central Mali, a local official reported that gunfire and rockets targeted an army camp, adding that it was not immediately clear which party was responsible for the attack.

The Malian forces regained control of the town of Kidal on the border with Niger at the end of April, after armed militants linked to the terrorist organization "ISIS" had entered it. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced in April that its forces prevented militants from carrying out an attempted coup in Mali.

The city of Kidal fell in northern Mali during a coordinated attack in April that targeted military facilities across the country. This desert city had been under the control of rebels for nearly a decade before it was reclaimed by Malian forces along with fighters linked to the Kremlin currently operating under the name "African Legion" in 2023.

Kidal has a population of about 55,000, the majority of whom are Tuaregs, along with other groups. In recent years, the population has increased due to the influx of thousands of internally displaced persons fleeing from ISIS in the Menaka region.

Kidal is located more than 1,500 kilometers and a 24-hour drive from the capital Bamako. It is rich in important natural resources, including gold and other minerals, making it a target for armed groups and extremists active in the Sahel region.

The Malian army announced that the situation is under complete control following attacks carried out by armed militants on 5 cities and towns.

A rebel group led by the Tuaregs launched an attack today (Saturday) on a town in northern Mali where government forces and Russian paramilitary forces are present. Residents of two other areas in northern and central Mali reported hearing gunfire and explosions.

The attack is the latest challenge facing the military government in the country located in the African Sahel region, after the rebels carried out prominent attacks in April that targeted the capital airport in Bamako, leading to the assassination of the defense minister and the seizure of several military bases in the north of the country.

Mohamed El-Mouloud Ramadan, a spokesman for the Azawad Liberation Front, told Reuters that fighters from the front attacked the town of Anifis in the Kidal region of northeastern Mali early Saturday morning.

The government and Russian forces had deployed in Anifis following the April attacks, during which the Azawad Liberation Front and a branch of Al-Qaeda in the region managed to take control of the city of Kidal.

In the city of Gao in central Mali, a local official reported that gunfire and rockets targeted an army camp, adding that it was not immediately clear which party was responsible for the attack.

The Malian forces regained control of the town of Kidal on the border with Niger at the end of April, after armed militants linked to the terrorist organization "ISIS" had entered it. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced in April that its forces prevented militants from carrying out an attempted coup in Mali.

The city of Kidal fell in northern Mali during a coordinated attack in April that targeted military facilities across the country. This desert city had been under the control of rebels for nearly a decade before it was reclaimed by Malian forces along with fighters linked to the Kremlin currently operating under the name "African Legion" in 2023.

Kidal has a population of about 55,000, the majority of whom are Tuaregs, along with other groups. In recent years, the population has increased due to the influx of thousands of internally displaced persons fleeing from ISIS in the Menaka region.

Kidal is located more than 1,500 kilometers and a 24-hour drive from the capital Bamako. It is rich in important natural resources, including gold and other minerals, making it a target for armed groups and extremists active in the Sahel region.

Mali army forces Tuareg rebels